Avenger: Twilight Dolls
by Alpha Draconis1
Summary: [Avenger] A Nei-centric continuation of the Avenger anime series. Unwilling to be the pawn of destiny, even as the savior of mankind, Nei departs on a journey for answers. A crossover with the .hackLegend of the Twilight manga.
1. Chapter 01: Loneliness

Disclaimer: This work of mine is a fan fiction writing based primarily on the anime, Avenger, with elements from the manga, .hackLegend of the Twilight. Credit and ownership for most of the characters and scenes belong to Ban Yukiko and his crew, and Rei Izumi and her crew. This fan fiction will be taken down upon the request of the artists or of the host. Any and all incidents or characters portrayed in the story is purely coincidental to other works, fiction or non-fiction, and unrelated to any persons living or dead. . . though I doubt you can find any person on the surface of Mars just yet.

**Primary Author's Notes:**

Because of the nature of this story, there will be spoilers to both series. Any reader who does not wish to be privy to these spoilers is requested to turn back at this point; disregard of this request will act as a waiver to all rights of complaint of said reader. In the course of the story, there might be points that lead to confusion among the readers. Any and all such points are either addressed in the Ending Author's Notes, or will be addressed in subsequent chapters _if_ a reader addresses them through the reviews. (Please, I'm not a mind reader. . .yet.) With that aside I hope you enjoy the story.

**Chapter 1: Loneliness**

Purple eyes opened to the sound of a howling desert wind. A pale, jointed arm reached out and a hand gripped the grains of sand beneath it. The red soil of Mars gave way easily to the pressure, crumbling into dust or falling between the fingers like water through a sieve. Fine particles floated away in the wind.

The torso of a chilled, dressed in a white gown that could have passed for a nightgown, sat up. The eyes saw through the red haze and stared up at an equally red moon. Through the crack of the tube, the light sifted down, splaying colors inside and unto the occupant's skin. Pale yellow hair drifted down to settle against shoulders the color of newly born babies' flesh. The hands left their position on either side of the figure and rose up towards her face, palms upward in a gesture like that of supplication, yet the child was looking down as if judging her own hands. A voice as soft as the breeze came forth from her lips; lips so light in tone, they could have been from a dead being. Yet the voice asked a question that proved its owner was alive – or at least in a state very similar to that of life.

"I'm . . .awake?"

Tentatively, she reached out with her right hand pressed against the ceiling of the tube. The same ceiling that had two major holes and several cracks along it. As soon as she applied pressure, the ceiling cracked like an eggshell. Several pieces fell upon her, but she didn't mind the rusted pieces of metal.

As the ceiling slid to the side, she stood up in the small, meter-wide diameter of the tube. Restraints that should have held her down withered away; she took notice of it as well as the tube, which was now falling apart, and wondered.

The answer, corrosion, came to her in a flash. Unfortunately, it paved the way for millions of other answers to pour forth like a flood.

She fell to her knees in the tube, overwhelmed with the sudden outpouring of memory and knowledge. She held her hands to the sides of her head and gasped for breath. For several long minutes, she sat there, still except for her shallower breathing, and took in the thoughts that had been stored in her mind, which was now forced to reboot and process her entire past. . .

Images ran through her mind; a girl with crimson eyes and skin as brown as almonds; another with red hair and clothed in robes; a scantily clad young woman with silver hair and a collar round her neck; and another fair-haired belle carrying a small animal. Finally, the images that she had unknowingly been dreading came and a sob wrenched its way out of her throat, while her non-existent heart felt like it was being squeezed to death. These personas, or rather memories, of a young boy with eyes and hair of aquamarine green, and a young lady with pale violet hair who shared the same eyes as the boy.

With the memories that came crowding into her mind, the girl lying in the shell of what must have been the cylindrical shape of a life-support tube, lifted her head and all but howled into the red sky of Mars; her cries of despair resounding in the empty valley like a banshee's mournful wail. It was only because of their mechanical nature that her eyes shed no tears even as the sobs wracked her body.

Gradually her cries subsided into nothingness, her grief becoming less open, though it was still there. Her eyes, now almost blank, continued to stare down at her hands as they were planted upon the red sand collecting in the innards of the tube. So she would have remained, perhaps for all eternity if new sounds hadn't made themselves known to her.

"I know it came from here."

"Where?"

"Here. Somewhere."

"Oh yeah, that's helpful. Why not just say "Here on Mars" while you're at it?"

"Ah, just sod it! I know you heard it too so I'm not – Hey! Hey! There's a doll in here!"

The child, or doll as the newcomers called her, turned her head in the direction of the sounds, through the large gap in the canopy of the tube. She found herself looking at a human female with marigold hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in a tunic, with tight shorts beneath. A whip was fastened at her left, a belt of ammunition on the other side. She was a bit striking, with her hair in a ponytail, but her beauty was marred by the greedy sneer that was slicing across her face.

"Hey Poro, look at the doll I found. You think we can pawn her off or something?"

"Doll? Lem'me see!"

Another head appeared, this time belonging to a man. Raven hair that was cut to a close crop, brown eyes that slanted at the corners, and a wiry frame that wasn't hidden by the old, dented armor he was wearing; the man looked like an adventurer with his female thief.

"I bet we can sell it in Volk City", said his partner. "Come on!"

With those words the woman leapt into the tube and grabbed hold of the girl's shoulders. The child's eyes widened as she became conscious of the plans her new captors had for her. They wanted to take her away. They wanted to take her away. They wanted to take her. . .

And she did not want to be taken at the moment.

She suddenly pushed against the lady with her small arms. Not expecting such an action, the woman gasped and let loose her grip, falling backwards and hitting her head on the inside of the tube with an audible curse.

"Celia! Why you miscreant little doll!"

The man called Poro followed his partner down into the tube, landing on his feet. Warily, he edged closer to the child who was now getting to her feet. Behind him, Celia also stood up, rubbing her head. She glowered at the doll and moved to Poro's side.

The girl frowned. Just who did these idiots think they were? She lifted a hand and concentrated in thought. In her mind's eye, the metal underneath Celia and Poro's feet wound themselves into strips that would hold her would-be captors down.

Nothing happened.

She frowned and concentrated harder, eyes straining. When the lack of change continued to persist, she realized the truth that was accompanied by no small degree of shock.

"My powers. . . aren't here!"

While she was thinking this, the duo before her was looking at her as if she was a lunatic. The man raised an eyebrow questioningly at his companion. She in turn just shrugged. They decided to worry about the strange behavior later and moved forward to take hold of the girl.

The pair of arms coming at her forced the child out of her reverie. She stepped back against the opposite wall of the tube and felt it give way. A moment later, she was tumbling along the red surface, the fine, crimson powder coloring her white gown and getting into her hair.

She stopped herself by slapping her hand, palm down, into the ground, and dragged herself up to her elbows. The scraping sound of sand being kicked up told he that her hopeful subjugators were following; a glance confirmed this.

The man jumped as if to tackle her and she rapidly crawled backwards to avoid him. Her right hand found a fistful of sand and threw it at his face. Poro clutched at his eyes, shouting profanities at the top of his voice. The girl smirked at her handiwork and got up only to be snapped around when a whip found its way around her, pinning her arms to her body.

"You're a troublesome one, aren't you?" Celia acidly commented, coming up and holding the handle of the whip with enough tension so that the child could not get away. "You may be broken, but you're parts may still fetch a price."

"Let me go." the girl demanded.

"Like we would." Poro said, striding towards the girl while still rubbing sand out of his eyes. "You think we'd just let you go after all the trouble you gave us?"

"Idiot." was the condescending reply to his rhetorical question.

The man's brown eyes glazed over in anger and he struck out without thinking. A backhand caught the girl across the face, and she felt her head snap to one side, despite the fact that she could not feel the pain, only the pressure.

"Stop that!" Celia screamed. "We won't get any money if you keep breaking it."

"Che! I'm beginning to think it wasn't worth it. Come on, brat!"

"My name is Zephyr Hewick, not 'brat'. Don't forget it, oaf."

Poro made for another swing again, but Celia grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"If you break that doll and waste it all, I'll personally make you a eunuch. Understood?"

He muttered in reply, but didn't hit the girl again. With utter disregard for her comfort, Poro picked the child up and carried her slung over his shoulder. He and Celia made their way to the top of a hill, where a trail was clear and a jeep was parked. There, Poro replaced the whip that had bound her with metal cuffs and a chain, before dumping her on the backseat.

He was taken aback by the glare the girl gave him.

"Let's go, Poro."

Muttering to himself, the man got into the driver's seat while Celia sat on the passenger side.

The girl looked at the cuffs that bound her legs and arms, then at the chain around her neck. She tested them, once, twice, but they held firm. She sat back and leaned into the uncomfortable edge of the jeep in resignation. The thought that crossed her mind then, as her tiny body was repeatedly bumped into the side of the car and the wind blew her flaxen hair around, was the only thing that somewhat cheered her up.

"Those two will die for this."

**Ending Author's Notes:**

This story is paced chronologically, so I apologize for the lack of any of the Avenger cast in this chapter. It was needed, otherwise I would have had to create a flashback chapter for "Zephyr Hewick", or leave it unsolved, which is something I would never do to any of my stories. Leaving a character's history undiscovered is one of the ways a story can prick me the wrong way, and I don't want that. As for why I refer to her by that name, readers of the manga ".hackLegend of the Twilight" will know who she is, but those who only watched the anime won't have a clue. There are three reasons why I chose "Hewick" instead of the more popular "Hyuek"; first, 'Hewick' is a true western (Anglo, I think) name that would make more sense connected to "Zephyr", which is a Greek name. Secondly, it's a matter of taste; with names like "Layla", "Nei", and for goodness sake, "Speedy" around, I didn't want another awkward name. As for why I gave her that surname in the first place, it's a tribute, both to the interconnecting .hack stories, and to her grandfather (again, only the people who know .hack will get this, but don't worry, it's not important to _this_ story).

To make up for this lack of the main cast, I'm posting the second chapter at the same because that's where the real story begins, and where the primary character makes his appearance. (Strange to leave the primary character until the second chapter, huh?)

And so ends the first chapter to my first fan fiction based on the Avenger series. This is more of a trial work for me than a dedicated story, though I take it more seriously than a one-shot. It also serves as my pillow, since I have been falling on the hard walls of writer's block for most of my other stories. And, it's also my first successful transition of a story that was first written on paper. It was easier to write when inspiration struck, rather than have to wait until I could get to a computer. Reviews and flames are appreciated as long as they actually say something I can use to make my writing better.


	2. Chapter 02: Wistfulness

Disclaimer: This work of mine is a fan fiction writing based primarily on the anime, Avenger, with elements from the manga, .hackLegend of the Twilight. Credit and ownership for most of the characters and scenes belong to Ban Yukiko and his crew, and Rei Izumi and her crew. This fan fiction will be taken down upon the request of the artists or of the host. Any and all incidents or characters portrayed in the story is purely coincidental to other works, fiction or non-fiction, and unrelated to any persons living or dead. I did not torture my little brother in order to drag this story out of his mind. Honest.

**Primary Author's Notes:**

Because of the nature of this story, there will be spoilers to both series. Any reader who does not wish to be privy to these spoilers is requested to turn back at this point; disregard of this request will act as a waiver to all rights of complaint of said reader. In the course of the story, there might be points that lead to confusion among the readers. (That is especially true in this chapter, if most of my information is correct. I guarantee that some readers will either go "I didn't notice that" or "This guy mixed up his canon" at one point.) Any and all such points are either addressed in the Ending Author's Notes, or will be addressed in subsequent chapters _if_ a reader addresses them through the reviews. I hope this is a story that you will either love or love to hate.

**Chapter 2: Wistfulness**

In the throne room of what used to be Volk City, a young boy sat on a chair that was covered in pillows. Though no one knew when he had been born, he looked like he was between nine and eleven years old. His red eyes, the color of roses or the soft Martian dawn, flitted gently from one subject to another. His gaze was gentle but tired, earning him surprised or sympathetic looks from those around him. Dressed in purple robes that flowed down to his feet, and a set of white pants and shirt underneath, he looked like a young prince, or as some of the ruder ones pointed out, a young princess. Golden figures were embroidered into his robe, matching the color of his hair, and his shoes hidden underneath the purple fabric, were soft velvet that belied their toughness.

Also in the room were several other figures; a man in worn clothes that were streaked here and there with grease, a woman with long, flowing blonde hair, and another man with a mustache and a turban, while around them were several dozen guards.

"Lady Westa, won't you reconsider?" the man with the mustache pleaded. He was a gentleman of average height, and thus, was actually shorter than Westa. His turban was blue and his skin was a deep brown; on his left hand were several rings, some of them with jewels. His eyes were dark and he wore a light blue vest, a sash and loose fitting pants.

"I'm sorry, Mayor Samud," the goddess replied, "but the city can no longer afford such luxuries in light of the damage brought about by the flood waters as well as negotiations with the Lunarians. You understand, don't you?" Lady Westa's voice was gentle but firm, with a tone of finality that few could ever match. Of course, even fewer were said to have the gift of foresight that allowed her such finality.

Mayor Samud blinked slowly and almost glared at the Lady before he managed to calm himself down. "I. . . understand, Lady Westa. But I hope that you too understand the nature of my city's situation. We too, were struck by the recent disasters, and we need to stabilize ourselves. I hope you will not be offended if I call again should matters deem it necessary?"

At Lady Westa's nod, Samud relaxed a bit. "Very well then. Good bye for now, Lady Westa." He bowed then turned around and left. At his departure, another visitor came in from the large double doors in front.

The prince watched these with a sigh. It had been like this for a while. The almost-battle with the people of the Moon, or the Lunarians as they were now called, coupled with the damage left by the floods and earthquakes had changed almost every political and trade agreement between the cities. With some cities wiped out by starvation, and others totally demolished by the raging waters, trade routes were cut, cities suddenly found themselves lacking luxuries, food, and ironically, drinkable water became scarcer, and the harsh Martian surface became even harsher.

The boy understood all this, but it did not mean that he was happy about it.

"Penny for your thoughts, Nei?" said a voice to his right. Looking up, Nei found the sight of Mister Speedy leaning on his chair comfortably. The happy-go-lucky doll breeder was seldom very serious but had taken it upon himself to stay with Nei, even after Layla had left.

Miss Layla. . .

Nei stifled another sigh at the memory. Accustomed to the boy's morose expression, Speedy tipped the child's face to look directly at him and smiled.

"Cheer up. It won't be like this forever and I believe, as you do, that Layla will be back."

Nei nodded. He did believe that. Believed in it with all his heart. But in the meantime, waiting was making him nervous and bored at the same time. And then, there were his dreams. Without Miss Layla to sleep with, his nightmares were making a routine appearance almost every other night. And of course, there were the dreams that were neither good nor bad; dreams of sitting on a hill while dolls and children played around and a small, soft hand that clasped his own. . .

Nei blinked. His daydreaming was starting to get a noticeable level lately. Perhaps it was better he thought things through instead of forcing the thoughts away.

"I think. . .I think I'll go for a walk." He said to Mister Speedy. The doll breeder nodded in understanding.

"I'll let Lady Westa know if she asks. Just be careful, okay little guy?"

Nei bowed slightly in affirmation and gratitude, before lowering himself off the chair. Walking out of the side door of the room, he found several dolls bowing down on either side of him. They were dressed in maids or servitors' clothing. Several were carrying trays of food; others were cleaning the hallway, or just passing through. All of them greeted him.

"Good afternoon, Lord Nei."

"It's very nice to see you again, Lord Nei."

"Greetings, Lord Nei."

"How may we serve you, Lord Nei?"

In one form or another, the dolls greeted him or offered to help in some way. Nei acknowledged their greetings with a nod or a wave and politely declined the offers.

He reached the lower levels and went through a large gate ringed by four human guards. The guards noted his passing but did not stop him. However, two of the black-clothed hunter dolls leapt from their positions from the gates' shadows and positioned themselves just a half step behind Nei on either side. Nei barely looked at them; he had grown somewhat used to the bodyguards every time he left the castle.

The dolls, looking like identical twins, followed him down the path, their rings chiming as their staffs moved in time to their steps. It was like a miniature procession, but the chimes served a dual purpose; they announced the presence of an important personage and warned off potential attackers at the same time.

Nei was too deep in thought to notice this though. The people passing by no longer greeted him, though several stopped to stare, but he didn't mind. His thoughts wandered again to his former 'mistress'.

"Miss Layla. . ."

That Nei missed the female barbaroi fighter was no secret in the upper echelons of Volk City. The people remembered, revered, and in some cases, hated Layla Ashley for her victory against Fighter Volk and her undeniable tie to Nei. He himself didn't mind the reverence they had for him and Layla, but he was getting tired-oh, so tired- of being worshipped from a distance by virtually everyone but Mister Speedy and Lady Westa.

He finally let out the sigh he had been holding and stopped atop a bridge overlooking the lower levels of the city. The chimes from the dolls faded as they too, halted.

Nei could see the gates of the city from his position - all four of them. Indeed, the bridge could have served as a battlement and there were mounted guns on either side. Yet below him, people walked peacefully to and fro and only a few guards patrolled. Unlike Apollo City, the only hunter dolls to be seen were the ones with Nei.

The boy crossed his arms and leaned down on the rail of the bridge. He was facing the setting sun, bathed in its pink glow. In the dimming light, his blonde hair and purple robes turned the color of his eyes, and the air was cool and refreshing. Another sigh escaped him. It was so peaceful here. Just a few weeks ago, he and Miss Layla and Mister Speedy had arrived here in response to Fighter Volk's challenge. Sick as he was at the time, he could still remember the details, up to the part where Layla had gone out the East Gate.

The Gate was now open. He could try and find her. But Nei was not that much of a fool. Miss Layla did not want to be found just yet.

He looked at the gate. Traders were coming in and out. Some on foot, others with cars or bikes designed for Martian transportation. He watched them pass through the large gates, down the path, towards the plaza. . .

Nei blinked. Was that a chase happening? It looked like it; there was a man running after a small figure that could have been a midget thief or a doll. Behind him, a woman was driving her jeep recklessly in pursuit.

Nei was curious. Being party to several chases before, he could sympathize with whomever was being hunted at the moment. The boy made up his mind, and then ran across the bridge to a path that lead to the lower levels.

Behind them, the two hunter dolls followed in an almost silent escort; only their rings now chiming loudly.

**Ending Author's Notes.**

And here's the little star of our story. This is beginning to be something more of a continuation than just a crossover, and that's the way I like it.

Now before I get a ton of flames or questions for this, yes, Nei is a boy. This is not a personal idea; Nei is actually revealed to be a boy in episode thirteen (13) of the series, after the fight with Volk. It was Westa who said it; "At first, we thought that she was a girl. But now we know that she's actually a boy. . ." That was on the cable channel Animax, with its twenty-four hour shows of English dubbed anime. I watched that episode twice just to make sure of it. And it's so puzzling; in the opening sequence you are literally shown Nei in a dress with flowing hair; anybody would think he's actually a girl. I tried to get the subbed version, but apparently, the Philippines is suffering from a severe lack of demand in the anime DVD section. Only thing I could find were boot-lagged versions of the Animax show, which was pretty stupid since you could just watch it on TV.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who thought that Nei is really a girl; of the information on the Net, few give enough info about Avenger, and fewer still give info about Nei's real gender. Even the fanfics that I've found. It's utterly frustrating; if it turns out that Animax botched up on the translation, I'm lobbying for another all-anime cable channel.

But about the story itself, I hoped you like the presentation of the story's main character, even if he is confusing. I have the third chapter written on paper, and depending on my time, I should have it encoded soon. Until then, ciao.

Oh, and if I missed anything, put it in a flame/review for me.


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